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"We’re so close to the U.S. and our culture is influenced by American culture a lot."                   --- Monterrey, Mexico

“Culturally wise we’re different,” said Teté Cervantes, 22, a student who’s studying International Affairs in Tecnológico de Monterrey. “Because we’re so close to the US and our culture is very similar to, or you can say influenced by, American culture, it’s very different,” she said.

Cervantes comes from Monterrey, the capital city of Mexico’s northeastern state, Nuevo León. It’s close to the border of the United States and it’s only a two-hour drive from the city to Texas.

Different from most Mexican cities, Monterrey is an industrial city with a distinct culture that may be unfamiliar to most people’s impression of the country. It’s a city where you can hardly find mariachi and typical Mexican food, even though music styles and cuisine can vary from places to places within Mexico.

“Sometimes when we talk about things in class with students from other parts of Mexico, I don’t feel as ‘Mexican’ as others,” said Cervantes, “but we have Halloween and Valentine’s day, like every capitalist American holiday.”

However, disparities exist inside the city as well. Just like any other place in Mexico, Monterrey is segregated along income and class lines. The city is divided and people from different social backgrounds do not have equal access to resources.

“I guess I had a quite privileged childhood, like I went to private school since I was four years old, and I started to learn English since I was very young,” she said. Classes are mostly taught in English in private schools in Monterey; Cervantes is almost bilingual and has the tendency to think in the language. “Sometimes I’m more comfortable expressing myself in English than I am in Spanish.”

The place she lives is where most middle-class or upper middle-class families stay and she receives relatively quality education growing up.

“It’s kind of isolated and far away from the city center,” she said. “You went to kindergarten with the same people, all the way to university. It’s kind of like a small town in that way, even if we live in a big city.”

The huge difference between Monterrey and other parts of Mexico is also the reason Cervantes identify herself more with the city rather than the country.

“For me, my primary identification is Monterrey, that’s where I say I’m from, the city.”

“For me, my primary identification is Monterrey, that’s where I say I’m from, the city,” she said.

She’s currently exchanging in the University of British Columbia in Vancouver. Being out of Monterrey makes her miss her hometown.

“I miss my family. I miss my dog, and I miss the food,” said Cervantes, though she doesn’t plan to stay in Monterrey in the future. “My parents and professors, they all expect me to go abroad, or it would be like I’m not reaching my potential.”

Cervantes said it’s hard to expect equal opportunity in Mexico, even in her city.

“People are trying to leave because there’s no good opportunity for girls in Mexico, not even much in Monterrey,” she said.

“If I were with my family, I wouldn’t want to leave here, I’m not going back.” 

*The articles was written from the perspective of the interviewee with her personal experiences. 

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"It's always busy and there's always something to do.”               --- Singapore

“It’s very hustle-bustle and something’s always happening. Very fast-paced,” said Amirah, 21, a Political Science student from Singapore Management University. 

Coming from Bedok, a region located at the east part of Singapore, she said that there’s no significant geographic difference among different areas of the country.

“It’s hard to say because it’s so tiny that there’s no clear boundary.”

Singapore has always been considered a city-state, but the nation’s border does not limit its influence on Southeast Asia. It serves as the global transfer hub and is home to numerous international corporations. For more than five decades, the country has been the dominant power in the region, both economically and politically. 

But growing up in a big city like Singapore constantly reminds its people of being competitive, and leads to relatively huge education pressure starting from primary school. Parents start to look for schools way earlier and kids have been facing competition since they were little. 

“The pressure doesn’t come from the city, I think it’s the education system,” said Amirah. She’s in her third year in college and is currently exchanging in the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Singapore’s competitiveness not only comes from its effort on education but also from its emphasis on equality.

With various races and ethnic groups, Singapore emphasizes its multi-racial and multi-cultural society. Equality is not merely a value to be promoted but a policy to be executed. The government makes sure to give sufficient social space to the three main ethnic groups, Malay, Indian and Chinese, in the country. Public housing is regulated by the ethnic quota and media such as public broadcasting and newspaper are equally allocated to three communities. There’s a state-run television channel for each ethnic group and it’s broadcasted in their mother tongue.

Though policies are equal by law, people’s sense of belonging can fall off occasionally. 

“I feel very Singaporean, but I also sometimes feel like the idea of what it means to be a Singaporean is a very much Chinese Singaporean identity.”

“I feel very Singaporean, but I also sometimes feel like the idea of what it means to be a Singaporean is a very much Chinese Singaporean identity,” said Amirah, searching for words.

To her, the experience of being a Singaporean is mostly equal and the identification is strong, but coming from a minority group in the nation sometimes can still make a difference.

“It’s a majority-minority thing. It’s very hard to avoid this in any situation or context,” she said.

In order to connect everyone in the country together, English has always been the official and common language of Singapore.

“English is supposed to be the one thing that keeps us all on equal levels,” said Amirah. “But I remember there was this New Year’s Eve event, on Channel 5 there was this segment that they were only speaking in Mandarin.”

The 2013 New Year’s Eve countdown caused an uproar in Singapore afterward. Channel 5 is one of the state-run broadcasting platforms and is a dedicated English channel for every one in the country, but it was criticized for the use of Mandarin instead of English by the host and performers during the event.

Though being the minority sometimes affects her experience as a Singaporean, the country is still where Amirah feel strongly belonged to.

“I miss my grandma. I miss my cat. I miss my friends. I think I miss the people the most,” she said, “I miss the place as well. That’s the best place for me to live in because I can eat whatever I want within my dietary.”

“I feel a lot more independent in Singapore because I can get to anywhere I want to; it’s just always busy and there’s always something to do.” 

*The article was written from the perspective of the interviewee with her personal experiences. 

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“We’re kind of culturally different.”                                               --- Kuching, Malaysia

“We’re kind of culturally different, even the lifestyle is different,” said Stefanie Jong, 22, a student who’s now studying Accounting and Finance in Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

“We’re more chill, but the people from the west side, they’re always doing something, they’re always onto something.” said Jong, referring to her hometown, Kuching. 

Kuching is the capital city of Sarawak, Malaysia. The term “kuching” stands for cats in Malay, and there have been various explanations of the origin of the name. Statues of cats can be found everywhere in Kuching and they have become the landmark of the city from eastern Malaysia.

Born and raised in Kuching, Jong spent her childhood and teenage years in her hometown and went to Hong Kong for college education. She is currently exchanging in the University of British Columbia in Vancouver.

Growing up in the city of Kuching, Jong said that the life in the capital is nothing but relaxing. It’s a city without all the hustle and bustle. Kids go to school from 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. and they are educated in an environment with relatively less pressure. 

But the distance between two sides of Malaysia also causes misunderstandings.

“Some of my friends from the west side, they even thought we live in the trees and need to travel by boats,” said Jong, laughing. “But the truth is, we are not that different. We have the same leisures as they do. We go to cafés and karaokes too, it’s just that we’re not that on par with west Malaysia cities.”

Not only the geographic distance makes the difference, disparities among races also set people apart.

Coming from a country with multiple races and ethnic groups, Jong used to feel unconnected to the national identity of Malaysia. 

“It was until recently did I identify more with Malaysian; I tend to clarify that I’m Malaysian Chinese.”

“It was until recently did I identify more with Malaysian; I tend to clarify that I’m Malaysian Chinese,” she said.

Among the total population of 31 million, those of Chinese ancestry comprise roughly 20% of Malaysians. Compared to Malaysian Malays’ 50%, they are considered minority in the country.

“Now it’s a lot better, but in the first place we really didn’t like each other.”

The variety of ethnic groups and religions may not be the reason of conflicts, but the biased policies could pose threat to the harmony among races.

According to Article 153 of the Constitution of Malaysia, Malaysian government has the right to “safeguard the special position of Malays” by making policies that are specifically in the interest of the group. Public services such as scholarship, education and the granting of business license all establish quotas for Malays to make sure their access is secured. Other ethnic groups, including Malaysian Chinese, tend to seek overseas education or partnership with the dominant race to gain resources they need.

However, the country is making its way to unity, though gradually. Since 2010, Malaysian Prime Minister, Najib Tun Razak, has introduced “1Malaysia” program. National unity and the recognition of Malaysian identity from different races are emphasized more; public services for all citizens are implemented more comprehensively. 

Despite the unsure feeling toward her Malaysian identity, Jong feels strongly connected to Kuching.

“I miss the people. I miss the food. I miss my home,” she said. 

*The article was written from the perspective of the interviewee with her personal experiences.